Improvements along offensive, defensive lines continue giving Monroe City its edge

MONROE CITY, Mo. — The Monroe City football team’s 39-20 loss to Lawson in Week Seven goes in the books as just that — a loss.

But looking below the surface, Monroe City coach David Kirby saw a glimpse of the level to which his team is capable of playing.

“That was a big eye-opener,” Kirby said. “We did not play well in the first half. We were down 22-0, and ultimately we rattled off 20 points in a row. Our kids could have laid down at that juncture when we got down by that much, but they kept fighting back. I think the second half of that game really opened our eyes to the kind of team we can be.”

All the Panthers have done since then is steamroll Clarence Cannon Conference opponents Highland and Macon by scores of 60-6 and 44-9, respectively, and trounce Highland again 54-14 in the Class 2 District 7 quarterfinals.

“On any given night, we can be exceptional, but we have to play four quarters and can’t allow ourselves to get behind the sticks, make mental mistakes and turn the ball over,” Kirby said. “I think we’ve improved in all those areas the last few weeks.”

Growth on both lines of scrimmage have been paramount to the Panthers’ recent success.

“Our offensive line and defensive line have definitely improved,” Kirby said. “We’re getting much better blocks at the point of attack. We’re sustaining blocks a little better. Our kids are just understanding what we want to accomplish a little bit more than earlier in the year.”

Junior running back Quincy Mayfield has had a front row seat to the offensive line’s improvement.

“They’re just playing a lot grittier and more nasty,” Mayfield said. “That makes my job a lot easier.”

The Panthers now set their sights on Clark County, which defeated Palmyra 26-22 in the district quarterfinals and will travel to Monroe City’s Lankford Field at 7 p.m. Friday in the district semifinals. Monroe City grinded out a 24-6 road victory over the Indians in Week Five.

“It was a very competitive game,” Kirby said of that Sept. 27 contest. “Coach (Ethan) Allen always has those kids ready to play. We’ve been competing against those guys for years. It’s always a tough game. You throw the records out at this time of year. You know you’re going to have to play extremely well if you’re going to survive and advance.”

Since the Indians faced a grueling schedule to start the season — each of their first five opponents have winning records and four sit at 7-3 or better — they have rounded into winning form. The Indians have gone 3-1 in their last four games and have not given up more than 28 points since a 52-20 loss to South Shelby in Week Four.

“They’ve got young kids who are gaining a lot of experience this year, but those kids always compete at a high level,” Kirby said. “They always have a great gameplan defensively. Their kids fly around. They tackle well. They are a deceptively good team. Their record is a little off, but they fight tooth and nail. We’re really going to have to know our assignments, fly around and play a good solid football game to compete for a win.”

Senior defensive and offensive tackle Lane Willard said staying true to the Panthers’ recent trends will serve them well against a scrappy Clark County squad.

“We have to play physical, fill gaps, watch the outside, push everything in, make tackles, no arm tackles,” Willard said. “Offensively, we need to finish blocks, run through the holes hard, just stay fundamentally sound the entire game.”

Willard will attempt to once again open those running lanes for Mayfield, who kickstarted Monroe City’s quarterfinals win with a 59-yard touchdown run 25 seconds into the game.

“It really just came down to my line making holes for me to get through,” Mayfield said of that burst. “If they give me space, I’m going to reward them for that.”

Mayfield and Dylan Ross scored a combined five times against Highland. Add hard-nosed, punishing back Jayden Holland into the mix, and the Panthers have a three-headed monster that will create headaches for Clark County if all goes swimmingly.

“It’s very much a luxury,” Kirby said of being able to rotate three running backs virtually at will. “I tell people all the time that we run a spread offense because we do spread the ball around so much. With Dylan, Quincy and Jayden splitting up those carries like they do, it’s tough on a defense because they have to prepare for all three.”

That hasn’t been an easy task for anyone.

“Clark is going to be tough, but I have faith in our guys that we’re just the better team,” Mayfield said.